“They’re always tough,” head coach Bruce Arians said on making cuts Friday. “Every time you deal with someone this long and you get to know them on a personal level it’s hard to cut them.”

Two of the players Arians focused on during his press conference were Carter and Thomas.

Carter, who was taken by the Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2011 draft, recorded 12 tackles last season but didn’t do enough to impress the team’s new coaching staff.

“David was in a battle with Ronald Talley,” said Arians. “Talley’s strength at the point of attack and his ability to play nose tackle was stronger, was better. David has a lot of hustle and effort, but he was struggling to hold the point as much as those guys were.”

Another player who didn’t do enough to catch the attention of Arians was Thomas, a veteran wideout the team on Aug. 20. While the former UA standout caught two balls for 20 yards and a touchdown in Arizona’s 32-24 win over Denver Thursday, in the end it came down to numbers at the position.

“[Cutting Thomas] was a decision because I like the guys we have a little bit more,” said Arians.

While Dan Buckner and Thomas are no longer a part of the wide receiver competition, as Arians heads into his final wave of cuts before a self-imposed deadline of 12 p.m. Saturday, the Cardinals head coach said he’ll need to think long and hard about Jaron Brown and Kerry Taylor.

“No, not yet,” Arians said when asked if the WR corps had been finalized. “Those decisions, those last seven guys and practice squad guys with be the last decisions.

“I saw about what I have been seeing from those two,” Arians said of Brown and Taylor’s play in the preseason finale. “Jaron made a big play and was more consistent. Kerry is always consistent doing the right things. Both of those guys are battling it out.”

In addition to their 13 cuts Friday, the Cardinals also placed guard Jonathan Cooper on injured reserve Friday, meaning their roster is currently down to 61 players.